Completed

With its large openings, pool terrace and pine trees framing the picturesque bay beyond, this stunning coastal house in Spain channels the spirit of the Mediterranean Riviera quite beautifully. But don’t be fooled: the house is in fact near the town of Perbes, in the northwest corner of the country, overlooking the much cooler Atlantic Ocean.

Built for a family of four, the house turns its back to the street and is covered with wavy sheets of zinc, creating a neutral and fort-like impression to passers-by. Its other side is much more open, allowing the spectacular views from the bay to enter the living spaces. 40 percent of the house was built underground in order to prevent heat loss, while granite was used for the walls, which at points are as thick as 40 cm, for the same, energy-saving reasons. Repetitive linear elements such as vertical windows and louvres establish a rhythm that is artfully followed elsewhere in the house's design.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Repetitive linear elements such as vertical windows and louvres establish a rhythm that is artfully followed elsewhere in the house's design.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz.

Inside, all the walls were given a grooved concrete finish, from the garage to the bedrooms; this was balanced out with the use of warm-toned cedar wood throughout, and more durable bamboo wood for the floors. Kitchen fittings, furniture and lighting were specially designed for this project, and continue the wooden texture motif, in decorative counterpoint to the use of brutal concrete surfaces all around. The house was designed by Spanish architect Carlos Quintáns Eiras, who also co-curated the Spanish pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale this year, together with architect Iñaqui Carnicero. Their exhibition “Unfinished”, housed inside the pavilion, was awarded the Golden Lion by the Biennale jury.